It is under some circumstances desirable to give a specific device prioritized use of an outgoing communication channel. One example is an alarm system in a residence or business. Alarm systems are often configured to generate an outgoing telephone call to an alarm monitoring company or other destination if a break-in, fire or other event triggers the alarm. Typically, such alarms and other devices in a premises are connected to a conventional analog telephone line using a RJ31X connector or through some other type of hardware-based line seizure device. If triggered, the alarm system can seize that telephone line and drop any other call that might currently be taking place. Although this arrangement has worked well, it is at best an incomplete solution in other communication environments.